Minutes of Senior Staff and Center Directors’ Meeting 16 Apr 2001
The following documents the discussions addressed at the Senior Staff and
Center Directors’ Meeting on April 16, 2001. Mr. Goldin did not attend the
meeting. Action assignments have been placed in brackets [ ] for easy
identification.
1. AA Reports
S/Weiler: The 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft successfully launched on April
7, 2001. Flight controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory received
the first signal from the spacecraft through the Deep Space Network station
in Canberra, Australia. Due to a favorable launch trajectory on Saturday,
flight controllers for Mars Odyssey decided that they can postpone the
first trajectory correction maneuver to fine-tune the spacecraft’s flight
path. The first trajectory correction maneuver had been scheduled for
today, but after analyzing the current spacecraft trajectory, spacecraft
engineers have decided to wait until later in the cruise phase to perform
the first maneuver. All systems on the spacecraft are in excellent health.
I/Cline: 1) Preparations for supporting guest operations for the foreign
delegations attending the Space Shuttle STS-100 launch on April 19 are
ongoing. 2) The Office of External Relations is working with the Office of
Space Flight and the Johnson Space Center (JSC) on preparing for the
International Space Station (ISS) Heads of Agency telecon, now scheduled
for April 20. [Note: the Heads of Agency telecon was deferred.]
AM/Angotti: 1) Today, InfoCom is distributing notice of the availability
of an Effective Stress Management module on the Occupational Health Web
site, http://ohp.nasa.gov. This Web site module provides basic information
on how to improve coping skills for personal and work-related
pressures. It contains a voluntary, anonymous questionnaire that will rate
responses and provide immediate feedback for coping with stress in everyday
situations. 2) This week’s edition of the national weekly publication,
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH REPORTER, ran an article, “NASA Issues Interim
Contractor Rule to Boost Safety Protections, Require Plans” on the NASA FAR
Supplement interim rule change to 66FR 18051. The interim rule will be
effective May 7, 2001. The Rule is designed to further protect the NASA
workforce, contractors, astronauts, and pilots, and the public by requiring
that contractors take all reasonable safety and occupational health
measures consistent with standard industry practice and submit detailed
safety plans with their bids where applicable.
R/Reck: 1) Registration is available online for the annual Aerospace
Enterprise Conference, “Turning Goals Into Reality.” It will be held May
15-17, 2001, at the Ronald Regan International Trade Center in
Washington. Some events will be at the Library of Congress and the
National Air & Space Museum. Speakers from all sectors of the aerospace
community will be addressing the theme “Innovation in Aerospace
Technology.” The Conference will also include ceremonies to recognize
outstanding accomplishments sponsored by the Enterprise over the past
year. Registration can be done directly through the Code R Web site:
http://www.aero-space.nasa.gov/curevent/tgir/index.htm. 2) The Aero-Space
Technology Advisory Committee will be meeting this week on Thursday and
Friday at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The agenda includes
descriptions of the Space Launch Initiative and subcommittee reports.
Q/Gregory: Risk mitigation actions are being implemented in anticipation
of the “taxi crew’s” stay on the International Space Station.
L/Cherry: 1) On April 24, the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology
and Space will hold a hearing on the 21st Century Vision for
Aeronautics. Mr. Goldin and Dr. Creedon, LaRC Center Director, will
testify. Other witnesses include an industry panel. 2) Mr. Goldin will
testify at a hearing on the FY 2002 budget on April 25, before the House
Science Committee (Chairman Boehlert R-NY) with other Cabinet Secretaries
and Heads of Agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction.
P/Cleggett: 1) NASA will have a series of briefings leading up to the
launch of Space Shuttle STS-100. On Thursday, April 19, NASA plans on
issuing a press release and extensive video file discussing the history of
Earth Science land remote sensing from space. 2) On Friday, April 20,
along with a live-shot television campaign from GSFC on new Landsat, Terra
and EO-1 images, JPL will be releasing an animation from the Shuttle Radar
Topography Mapping mission, showing a “fly-around” of Santa Barbara,
California. 3) Earth Day is Sunday, April 22, 2001.
AA/Stadd: Mr. Stadd introduced Richard Cooper who will be his Special
Assistant.
2. AI/Dr. Mulville
1) Due to the launch on Thursday, April 19, the Center Directors’ telecon
is cancelled. 2) Dr. Mulville congratulated the codes for completing
actions on time.
3. Center Reports
DFRC/Krier: 1) Last Thursday, the X-40 had a successful second
flight. The next flight is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow, April 17,
2001. 2) Also on Tuesday, April 17, DFRC will have an X-43 Air Force
System Review Board with LaRC members attending. The flight schedule date
is June 21, 2001.
GRC/Campbell: 1) As part of the NASA Aviation Safety Program, a unique
model-based diagnostics method that utilizes Neural Networks and Genetic
Algorithms for aircraft engine performance diagnostics has been developed
and demonstrated against a nonlinear gas turbine engine model. 2) An
Independent Annual Review of the Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology Program
was conducted April 9-12. 3) The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel visited
the Center on Tuesday, April 10. 4) Glenn Research Center’s GRUVE (Glenn
Reconfigurable User Interface and Virtual Reality Exploration) Lab was
officially opened at a public ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, April
10. The GRUVE lab is an advanced visualization system that enables the
user to be immersed in a virtual environment that is created through
computer imaging.
GSFC/Diaz: Mr. Diaz reported that a Goddard employee, Dr. Reuven R Ramaty,
had passed away. Dr. Ramaty was a leading space scientist who made
contributions to our solar and space physics program.
JSC/Estess: 1) This will be a busy week with the Space Shuttle STS-100
flight scheduled for Thursday afternoon. 2) The crew is already at KSC,
where they will be holding a press conference. 3) Everything is going well
on the ISS. 4) The Progress supply ship has undocked, making way for the
Soyuz.
KSC/Bridges: All is going well for the launch, and they are expecting a
near-record crowd.
SSC/Craig: SSC personnel are conducting a review of the cause of
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide drums.
NOTE: ACTION ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE TRANSMITTED UNDER SEPARATE COVER AND
TRACKED BY THE HEADQUARTERS CORRESPONDENCE MANAGEMENT OFFICE. SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS MAY BE ADDRESSED TO JILL HOOVER AT (202) 358-0905.
